Argentina Consumer Confidence

Argentina: Consumer sentiment picks up for second consecutive month

January 17, 2013

In January, the Universidad Torcuato di Tella (UTDT) consumer confidence index rose 0.9% over the previous month to 48.9 points. The expansion came in below the 8.7% rise recorded in December but marked, nonetheless, a second consecutive increase. As a result, consumer sentiment continued to edge closer to the 50-point threshold that separates optimism from pessimism.

The improvement was driven by increases in the sub-categories related to the households' assessment on the current and future personal financial situation. As a result, households' willingness to purchase durable goods also improved compared to December.

According to the National Statistics Institute (INDEC), consumer prices in the greater Buenos Aires capital area rose 3.4% in December compared to the previous month, which was significantly above November’s 1.2% rise.